Tent or booth



I (No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 1.

J. W. ERNEST. TENT OR BOOTH.

No; 595,875 Patented Dec. 21, 1897.

m VE/V Ton @mal gfwazz A TTORNEVS UNITED STATES PATENT Grinch.

JUAN W. ERNEST, OF LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA.

TENT OR BOOTH.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 595,875, dated December21, 1897.

Application filed September 19, 1893- Serial No. 485,767. (No model.)

To all whom, it may concern:

Be it known that -I, JUAN W. ERNEST, a citizen of the United States,residing at Los Angeles, in the county of Los Angeles and State ofCalifornia, have invented a new and useful Ideal Tent or Booth, of whichthe following is a specification.

This invention relates to tents or booths,

and has for its object to provide a tent or booth frame formed ofdetachable and folding parts that will stand and support its coveringagainst any ordinary wind without ropes or stakes or any part of itbeing driven into the ground and without unsightly and obstructingbraces or center standards, fur ther objects being to provide a tent oneperson may easily set up and to lessen the time and labor necessary forsetting up; and with these and other objects in View the inventionconsists in the construction combination, and arrangement of partshereinafter described and claimed.

The invention is fully disclosed in the following specification, ofwhich the accompanying drawings form a part, in which- Figure 1 is anelevation or exterior view of tent with the top cover extended at theeaves and also having a part cut away .to show the frame. Fig. 2 is atop View of the central member or frame expanded as one rigid piece, towhich is detachably secured the other parts of the tent or booth. Fig. 3is a side View showing one of the central members folded. Figs. 4, 5,and 6 are views of metal angle-braces and sockets for detachablysecuring parts of the frame. Figs. 7 to 18, inclusive, representvariations and details of construction and are fully explained inconnection with the parts to which they belong.

In the drawings forming part of this specification the separate parts ofmy improvement are designated by the same letters of reference in eachof the views, and in said drawings I have shown in Fig. 1 an ordinarytent or booth with a part of the covering removed to show 'the frame,and at Z a series of rafters which are pivotally connected near theirupper ends by the metal ring R, which is provided with a connecting-nutA, Figs. 2 and 8, which holds the ends of the ring together. The ends ofthe rafters are peaked at- Z to fit and intercept each other when therafters are extended, and to the other end of each rafter is fastened ametal angle-brace and socket P, Fig. 4:, the open end of the socketbeing directed downwardly to receive the upper end of the legs L, Fig.7, which are preferably four-sided poles, near the upper end of which isattached the rope or strap D and at the lower end the spike E. Near thelower end of the socket is a lug which is adapted to strengthen thatportion of the socket and is provided with a circular, opeuing which isscrew-threaded and is adapted to receive a thumb-screw S, the end ofwhich is adapted to impinge against the legs L to detachably secure themin the sockets.

Instead of using the ring shown in Fig. 8 the well-known constructionshown in Figs. 17 and 18 may be used, in which the ring R is providedwith radial arms having sockets formed therein and the rafters arepivotally connected therewith, as clearly shown, and with eitherconstruction the rafters will be held perfectly rigid when extended.

The angle-brace and socket shown in Fig. 6 is the same as that shown inFigs. 4 and 5 with one side of the socket removed, and is preferred forsmall tents where the whole frame is not too heavy to handle together,and to prevent the chance of losing some of the legs a bolt withthumb-nut is passed through the leg and the hole J in the brace, thehole being round for this purpose, and when the bolt is tightened theleg is held firm in the socket, but by unscrewing the bolt until the legwill pass the edge of the socket it can be swung on the bolt up to theunder side of the rafter and held there by tightening the nut, and therafters folded together would inclose the legs on the inside, or the legcan be detachably attached with this socket by using the hole J andpassing the head of the bolt through the large opening, then upwarduntil the bolt is in the narnow opening, and tightening the nut.

The legs L, metal angle-braces P, rafters Z, pivotally connectedtogether at one end, with a top covering T of any suitable material, andthe side covering of rigid materi l fastened to the legs will make afolding ge t or booth within my invention entirely elfsupporting whenexpanded for use, a 'd this construction is particularly adapted/formovable houses and large election-booths, as the are like the firstdescribed except the shoul- 1 top may be of canvas, but the sides shouldbe of more du rable. material for this purpose, and preferably made inpanels of suitable size to extend from one leg to the next, and areprovided with a stout metal hook or pin near each corner to intersectwith suitable sockets or staples attached to the legs, or may beattached with bolts through the legs; but for ordinary camp life and formoving often or for long distances the side covering should be of lightflexible material as well as the top, and to make the frame standrigidly independent of the covering I use, in addition 1 to the metalangle-braces described, braces of rigid material attached near the outerends of the rafters and extending from each rafter to the next,completing a circuit, thus holding the rafters when extended firmlyfixed with relation one to the other and forming a strong central memberor frame braced in all directions, with strength in itself to holdinfieXibly the metal angle-brace with which the legs are rigidly affixedto it. These rafterbraces may be of varying construction, as. shown inFigs. 9, 11, and 12. In Fig. 9 I have shown a brace which is providedcentrally with a hinged connection, one of theupper bars f beingprovided with a hole at each 1 end and a standing shoulder-rivet W. Theother barf is longer and is provided with holes in one end and at apoint equal to the. distance between the holes in the other one, i andat the extreme end a narrow opening is out in from one side. The twolower braces i der-rivet These four pieces are pivotally 1 connected bya shoulder-rivet B and are ati tached with a pin or bolt through theouter? ends of the rafters and the holes 0 0, so the joint at B willbreak toward the center of the 3 frame, and when straightened out thepro-j ject'ing end of brace with the opening will hook under the head ofthe shoulder-rivet and will appear as shown at F, Figs. 1 and 2, andasat F, Fig. 3, when folded. In very large tents or booths, when theincreased number and size of the rafters make the weightof the framegreat, these rafter-braces should be made of wood, and may consist oftwo bars or strips placed parallel to each other, as shown in Fig. 11. Astandard or shoulderrivet B fastens them together near one end, theother end beingpivotally connected with the outer end of the rafter Z,and on this pivot "the brace can be swung back alongside the rafter, asindicated by the dotted lines F in Fig. -2, but when extending the framefor use the free end can be brought out until the two holes V areopposite a hole in the adjoining rafter and a close-fitting pin may beinserted to keep it there or the metal keybolt U, Fig. 13, and plate Hmaybe used to attach them to the rafter. The plate H (see Fig. 14) is ofmetal and is provided with a circular inclined plane it, lying aroundthe keyhole on the upper side. The shoulder of key-bolt resting againstone brace and the projection of the key moving along thegradually-rising surface of the inclined plane on the other brace willdraw the braces F firmly against the rafters Z.

In very large tents to handle the top part of the frame easier thebraces F may be fastened at both ends with the key-bolt and can bequickly taken off, and should then have another standard B near theother end; but I prefer in the removable brace to use a bar F Fig. 12,which is similar to one of the parallel braces shown in Fig. 11, andwhich is set up edgewise between the rafters, with thin pieces of metalf fastened to the braces and formed with angular proj ections f whichlap upon the rafters, a single key or bolt passing through and securingthem to each rafter.

The side covering C may extend from the ground to the rafters, but Iprefer to leave an open space X just below the braces F, and metal orleather eyelets 0c are fastened near the lower edge and rings or loopsXnear the upper edge of said covering, and it is attached to the frame bypassing the eyelets over the pins or standards E at the lower end of thelegs and the straps or ropes D through the rings or loops, and afterdrawing the cover taut fastening the straps or ropes with a buckle orknot, as clearly shown in Fig. 7.

The upper cover may be made of oilcloth, canvas, or other suitablematerial and extends down over the space X X and may be fastened to theside covering by suitable buttons or hooks, or it may be held on andmade to stand up at its edges to ventilate and light the interior andfor a better external appearance by using flat bars or strips of metal,one of which is shown in Fig. 10, in one end of which a hole n is formed, by which it is secured to the cover near the outer edge thereof, andis provided at the other end with a narrow opening a, and between theends is formed a hole 01 with a narrow opening extending in thedirection of the hole in. Two screws n -and n are inserted almost totheir heads in the side of the rafter Z in such relation to each otherthat when the hole at n is passed over the head of the screw a thenarrow openings will pass simultaneously '1] nder the heads of bothscrews-and the piece will be held firmly, as clearly shown in Fig. 1.The angle of the support may be changed by adding other screws withwhich to con-- nect, or a hole may be made in the ends of the rafters orin the metal angle-braces, to receive the end of the bars and hold them.The tensionof the cover if kept taut will hold the bars from comingout.

Toset up the tent, spread out the rafters Z and adjust the braces F, ashas been described, and, as shown in Fig. 2, spread the top cover overthe rafters and lift up one side and adjust successively the legs inposition. The side covering can be fastened in place, as has beenexplained, and the top covering can either be fastened to the sides, or,with the bars, to the rafters, as has been explained.

To prevent the tent from capsizing in the event of very high wind, pinsmay be driven at the foot of two or more legs on the windward side or onopposite sides of the tent and made fast to the legs with short piecesof rope or straps.

In the drawings eight rafters Z and legs L are shown; but the numbershould vary with the size and shape of the tent or booth.

My invention is not limited to the exact form, construction, andarrangement of the various parts, and I therefore reserve the right tomake all such alterations therein and modifications thereof as fairlycome within the scope of my invention.

Having fully described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire tosecure by Letters Patent, is-

1. In a tent or booth, a central member or frame comprising a series ofrafters pivotally connected together at one of their ends, so that theends impinge against and brace each other, and a series of braces orbars-forming a circuit at the other end of the rafters, the end of saidbraces or bars being lapped upon the rafters, and attached thereto withpins or bolts, the braces being of a length to hold the rafters elevatedat the center, thus forming a strong self-supporting frame.

2. In a tent or booth, a central member or frame comprising a series ofrafters pivotally connected at one of their ends and adapted to foldupon themselves, a series of braces or bars in pairs pivotally attachedat one of their ends to the outer ends of rafters the other ends beingdetachably attached to the next rafter when the frame is expanded,forming a complete circuit of the ends of the rafters and swinging upparallel with the rafters when folded, said braces or bars being securedtogether near one end thereof by a shoulder-rivet or similar device.

3. In a tent or booth, a central member or frame comprising a series ofrafters pivotally connected at one of their ends so that they may bearagainst and brace each other and adapted to fold upon themselves, and avseries of braces or bars which are provided with pieces of metalprojectingat their ends, to lap upon the rafters, said braces beingattached thereto with pins or bolts through their lapping ends to therafters, and when expanded forming a circuit of braces and constitutinga self-supporting frame, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

4. In a tent or booth, a central member or frame comprising a series ofrafters pivotally connected at one of their ends and adapted to be heldrigid at the apex thereof by bracing against each other when extended, aseries of metal angle-braces and sockets attached at the other endthereof, and a series of braces forming a circuit at the outer end ofthe rafters when expanded, the ends of .said braces or bars being lappedupon the rafters and attached thereto with pins or bolts, the bracesbeing of a suitable length to hold the rafters elevated at the center,and said angular braces also being suitably braced thus forminga framethat is self-supporting, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

5. In a tent or booth, a central member or frame comprising a series ofrafters pivotally connected at one of their ends and adapted to foldupon themselves, and when expanded to rise to an apex in their center, aseries of suitable braces the ends of which lap upon the rafters and areattached thereto with pins or bolts, said braces connecting the raftersand forming a circuit near the outer ends thereof and attached to theouter end of each rafter is a metal angle-brace, provided with socketsand a series of legs removably attached to said sockets, substantiallyas and for the purposeset forth.

6. A tent or booth comprising the combination of a suitable skeletonframe of rigid material with a side covering of flexible materialextending almost to the eaves and a flexible top covering extending overthe eaves to connect with the said side covering to inclose the tent,and provided with strips of rigid material each of which is provided atone end thereof with a small hole or opening by which it is secured tothe outer edge of said top, the oppositeend being provided with a slotin the end thereof and a keyhole adjacent thereto, said slot and keyholebeing adapted to engage the shanks of screws or bolts which arepartially inserted in said rafters adjacent to the outer ends thereofwhereby the outer edge of the top covering may be held out to providemeans for ventilating and lighting the interior and for a betterexterior appearance. I

7. In a tent or booth, a central member or frame comprising a series ofrafters pivotally connected at one of their ends and adapted to foldupon themselves, and when expanded to rise to an apex in their center,the outer ends of said rafters being provided with a series of suitablebraces the ends of whichlap upon the I rafters and are attached theretowith pins or bolts, said braces connecting the rafters and forming acircuit, and a series of metal braces angling near the center of theirlength and rectangular in transverse section, one end of which isprovided with threaded bolts for removably attaching a series of legsand to rigidly hold them to the rafters, substantially as and for thepurpose set forth.

8. The combination in a tent or booth, of the central member orframecomprising a series of rafters pivotally connected at one of theirends, to fold upon themselves, and when extended to rise to an apex atthe pivotal connection, the outer ends of said rafters being providedwith metalbraces with sockets angular in cross-section, a series ofbraces or bars connecting the free ends of the rafters and forming acircuit and a series of legs adapted to engage with sockets and tosupport the frame.

9. In a tent or booth, the combination of a series of rafters pivotallyconnected at one of their ends to fold upon themselves and a series ofmetal braces with sockets which are angular in cross-section, saidbraces being bent centrally to form an obtuse angle and each beingprovided with a threaded bolt or thumb-screws to removably attach oneend with a suitable leg, the other end being attached to the outer endof one of said rafters.

10. The combination in a tent or booth of a series of rafters upon theouter ends of which are secured metal angle-braces with sockets providedwith screw-threaded bolts, the other ends of said rafters beingpivotally connected with a central ring and adapted to fold uponthemselves, a series of legs adapted to enter said sockets, and a numberof panels or sections of rigid material extending from one leg to thenext, and being detachably secured thereto, substantially as and for thepurpose set forth.

11. A tent or booth comprising the combination of a series of rafterspivotally connected at one of their ends, a series of legs adapted tosupport said rafters, a series of metal angle braces with angularsockets adapted to detachably unite said legs and rafters, and a seriesof bars or long braces adapted to grip the outer end of rafters betweenthe ends of braces, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

12. A tent or booth comprising the combination of a series of rafterspivotally connected at one of their ends and a hole through their otherends, of a series of braces connecting said rafters, a series of metalkeys consisting of a rod with a handle formed at one end thereof and ashoulder adjacent to said handle, the other end being provided with alug or projection, and a washer having a circular inclined planeadjacent to an opening formed therein, to impinge the end of bracesagainst the rafters by the operation of said key upon the circularinclined plane.

13. In a tent or booth, a flexible top covering and thin strips or barsof rigid material provided with attaching-holes whereby one end of saidbar may be attached to the top covering of the tent or booth, and theother end being provided with a slot in the end thereof and a keyholeadjacent thereto, said slot and keyhole being adapted to engage theshanks of screws or bolts suitably mounted on the central member,whereby means is provided to hold the flexible top cover extended at itsedge.

14E. Ina tent or booth, a series of suitable legs and a side covering offlexible material, extending nearly to the caves, and which is providedwith eyelets at the lower edge thereof and with rings, loops or holes atthe upper edge; said legs having a pin or projection at their lower endsadapted to engage the eyelets attached to the lower edge of the sidecovering, and having a strap, rope or thong attached near the upper endsof legs to engage the rings, loops or holes near the upper edge of sidecovering, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

15. In a tent or booth, an angular brace, the same being provided with aleg-socket and a rafter-socket, said sockets being rectangular intransverse section, the rafter-socket bein g adapted to be secured to arafter by screws or bolts, and the leg-socket being adapted to besecured to a leg by a thumb-screw, substantially as and for the purposedescribed.

16. In a tent or booth, folded braces pivoted to suitable rafters neartheir outer ends and extending successively from one rafter to the next,and folding between the rafters when packed for shipping but Whenextended for use holding the rafters rigidly fixed and brac ing againsteach other, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

17. In atent or booth, a flexible top covering and thin strips or barsof rigid material provided with attaching-holes whereby one end of saidbar may be attached to the top covering of the tent or booth and theother end provided with suitable means for detachably attaching it tothe frame ofthe tent to hold the flexible top covering to the frame andextend it beyond the sides of the tent.

JUAN W. ERNEST.

Vitn esses HENRY IV. BRoDBncK, JOSEPH WANNor.

